I usually spend a lot of time outside in the summer, running up and down hills and bumping Jay-Z on my iPod. When my knees are functioning (sigh!), it breaks down to an hour or two in the sun at least every other day.

While I’m consistent about applying sunscreen before leaving the house for a run, I haven’t been as mindful when it comes to protecting my hair from sun damage. That summer sun gets hot, ya’ll. It’ll fade highlights in no time, so I’ve been on the lookout for products to protect my long, highlighted hair.

I found PureOlogy ColourMax ($18), a spray that protects against UVA and UVB radiation and prevents color fading.

About a half an hour before going for a run, I’ll spray ColourMax onto the sun-exposed parts of my hair from roots to ends, brushing it through. It smells a little like roses.

According to PureOlogy, the spray works to prevent color fading by some kind of nano technology. Hmm… I don’t know about that, but it does help to keep my hair from getting tangled and adds a little extra shine. The company also claims the product is 100% vegan and not tested on animals (I guess nanites don’t count).

I’ve been using it on my runs for about two weeks now (since returning from Hawaii) and haven’t noticed any fading of my caramel highlights in that time. I wish I had brought it with me to the islands because, over the short time I was there, I did notice some fading.

The real test will come after I get my roots done next month. I’ll keep you updated.

More Hair Products with UV Protection

If you spend a lot of time in the sun, consider using a hair product with UV protection. In addition to bleaching the color out of your hair, UV chemically breaks down the keratin proteins in hair, drying it out and making it more likely to break.

Re|center Anti-Frizz Serum ($10) — a hair serum that not only protects against UV rays and color fading but also smooths hair, adds shine and defrizzes. All that, and it’s 100% vegan and made from certified botanicals, too.

Sun or no sun, there will be no running outside for yours truly today. My bum knee is feeling much better now (thanks to your well wishes and loads of ice), but it doesn’t feel strong enough to attempt a run. Looks like I’m forced to continue relaxing at home.

Last night I did a whole lotta nothing from the comfort of the couch and watched a random sample of late-night 90’s movie fair. First, I watched American Pie, which I hadn’t seen in years (since band camp), and the second was Rounders. I forgot how much I liked Rounders. You can’t really go wrong with Ed Norton, Matt Damon and John Malcovich all in the same movie.

How’s your weekend coming along? Do you have any plans for today?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Girls of The Beauty Blog Network

P.S. It’s time again for the weekly roundup of makeup and beauty posts from some of the stars of the beauty blogosphere. I really liked this video review of Clinique Moisture Tint over at Pursebuzz.

Still confused about products that use the words NATURAL, ORGANIC and PURE on their packaging? Cybelesays discovers an organization that’s setting a standard with their seal and some big indy brands are joining up.

Are you ready for a Warm Chill? Roselyn from Makeup Makes Me Happyâ„¢ is also raving about the latest collection from MAC Cosmetics. Here she gives us another wonderful makeup tutorial featuring the cool blue hues from MAC’s Cool Heat.

So far, 15 people have commented on this article. How cool is that?

I remember Redken also has a similar product. The sun does fade your hair really fast, a lesson I learned in Florida. After a month or two, my really nice coppery toned hair turned brassy. So I just stopped coloring my hair altogether 😀

This is one of my favourite products from pureology! My stylist recommended it for my trip to hawaii when i got my color done two months ago. I use it every day, and two months and a sun & saltwater filled trip to hawaii later, my color still looks great!

We went to Maui, I’ve been to Maui and Oahu both before this trip. I like both, but Oahu is a little too much city for me on a vacation.

Just tonight I discovered the cheapest and easiest french manicure product! Sally Hansen French Manicure Pen. I dunno if you like the french manicure, or have already tried the product, but it is certainly worth checking out. I love it! So easy to use, and it looks great! I posted a whole shameless entry in my personal blog about it with pictures and everything.

This is how I life my life. If my house is a mess, I’m a wreck and seriously cannot function. Have I told you about my love affair with vacuuming? It’s out of control. I asked for (and received) a vacuum for my 21st birthday It’s one of my favorite things to do and is a great stress reliever for me. Now, Grace has figured out how to get the vacuum out of the closet and plug it in. She’s still trying to figure out how the attachments work. It’s soo cute.

awwwww, so sorry to hear that. Yeah, highlighting does help. My dad uses henna on his hair. He told me he left it on for about 2hrs and when he rinsed off, he got blond highlights. If you can stand the smell and 2hrs then you should try. His blond highlights looked quite natural as I remember. And he has brownish hair so the highlights totally blend in 😀

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